


Oh the Things You Will See

by InTheShadows



Series: WinterIron Month 2020 Fills [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Don't copy to another site, Getting Together, Imprinting, M/M, Murder Duckling, Pre-Relationship, Random & Short, Steve Rogers is a little shit, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InTheShadows/pseuds/InTheShadows
Summary: Tony can only huff when Steve comes down to the workshop looking for Bucky and finds Winter instead. There is no reason for him to be as amused as he is. Just because this has been happening since they knew the Winter Soldier was his own person and not just some programming, doesn't mean he has to laugh every time. It has to get old eventually right?Right? The jokes are getting old. Just because Winter has seemingly imprinted on him like a duckling is no reason to laugh every time they see him hovering. Rude. He is surrounded by rudeness.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Winter Soldier
Series: WinterIron Month 2020 Fills [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066097
Comments: 21
Kudos: 1290
Collections: WinterIron Month 2021





	Oh the Things You Will See

**Author's Note:**

> Well would you look at this. Me, actually posting a story on the actual day it's supposed to be posted and not three days later. It's a miracle.  
> For WinterIron Month. SFW Sunday: Word (duckling)  
> (yes I did go the most obvious route, thank you for asking)

“Hey Tony,” Steve greets as he walks into the workshop, “have you seen - oh. Never mind,” he says when he spots Winter hovering behind Tony’s shoulder, watching. Not necessarily looming, fortunately, but still right there. 

Tony sighs. “You know when you told me that you were bringing the famed Winter Soldier, legendary assassin of all time, back this wasn’t what I thought you meant. No offense cupcake,” he adds to Winter because he isn’t a  _ complete _ asshole, just most of one. 

Winter nods back solemnly.

Steve spread his hands wide, innocently, but his mouth twitches. “Don’t think this is what any of us were expecting either. But hey, you are always telling us how irresistible your charm is. And that you need a better assistant than Dum-E in the shop.” 

Tony shoots Steve an unimpressed look. Hilarious truly. Obviously he missed his true calling when he became Captain America instead. Oh the tragedy. 

Winter, as if to prove his point, sets the next set of wires that Tony needs beside his hand. Tony never had to tell him that he didn’t like to be handed things, Winter had figured that out on his own. He nods again when Tony thanks him and then goes back to watching. 

Steve has clearly lost the battle against his smile because he is grinning widely when Tony turns to look at him. 

“Not a word,” he points a finger at him sternly. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Steve reassures. Too bad there is far too much amusement in his expression. Someone is enjoying this way too much. 

Then again the whole team seems to find this pretty funny. The imprinting jokes haven’t stopped since it happened. Nor have the mama duck and her duckling ones. More like murder duckling. Not that Winter has had any incidents, even once, since he made himself known. 

It had been morning when it first happened. The team had started breakfast when something triggered Barnes and he went full out Winter Soldier on them. Naturally, they being the fighters that they are, prepared for the worst. This was one of the biggest concerns in bringing Barnes back after all. 

That had been the point when Tony walked in, still mostly asleep and in desperate need of coffee to function. Sure he knew something was going on, but he wasn’t awake enough to figure out what. He was never one to wake up gracefully. Even with his mind’s inability to shut up for long it was still a process. 

Thus his attention had been focused on other, more important, things that morning. The team is loud and potentially crazy to begin with. How was he supposed to know that something had been legitimately wrong? Then, next thing he knows, he has a Winter Soldier attached to him. Literally. 

To hear the others tell it Winter took one look at him and made his move. He put himself between Tony and the team as if staking a claim. He watched as Tony got his coffee and then guided him to the table for breakfast. He got Tony a plate and then hovered until he ate it. 

By that time Tony had been awake enough to notice the draining tension from the room. And the snickering. There had been a growing amount of snickering as Winter continued to guard him. 

He hasn’t left Tony alone since. Now whenever he comes out he automatically makes his way to Tony and stays there until Barnes comes back out again. It’s a thing. It’s a thing that Tony is never going to be able to live down.  _ Ever _ . 

“You need Thing Two for something?” he asks Steve. That was the reason he came down after all. 

Steve shakes his head. “Nothing that can’t wait.” He had taken the whole ‘my best friend has a second personality in his head’ thing surprisingly well. Not to say he took it gracefully. Not at first. But after watching Winter interact with Tony enough he came to terms with it. 

Mainly because he finds the whole thing funny. Ass. He thinks Winter is the best person to give Tony the care he obviously needs. As if Tony is not fully capable of taking care of himself. He’s made it this far hasn’t he? He hasn’t starved or killed himself yet. That definitely counts for something. 

Too bad he doesn’t see it that way. 

_ Ass _ . 

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters to Steve’s knowing look. 

This has definitely taken some getting used to. Tony isn’t used to people being in his space like this. Not all the time. Not because of, well,  _ him _ . He gets to be too much for people. Most can’t stand him for long and those that can - 

Pepper has never been completely comfortable in the workshop. Her space is an office or a comfortable couch. Paperwork, organization, order. All of those things are the exact opposite of what the workshop is. Organized chaos is the best way to put it. It’s like Tony’s mind, in a way. Always moving, always cluttered and always one step away from disaster. It’s not something he blames her for, it’s just how it is. 

Happy, while not being the exact same, has had some of the same complaints Pepper has. The workshop isn’t his place, even if he finds it interesting. It’s not so much the chaos that gets to him as the lack of things for him to do. Happy likes to be helpful, productive when he’s working. There isn’t a whole lot for him to do around here. That’s why he has the job he does. He’s better at security and - pun intended - happy there. 

Rhodey has no problem with the workshop. He is a fellow engineer after all and far from stupid. Just because he isn’t at Tony’s level doesn’t mean that he isn’t an intelligent and capable person all on his own. But he’s also military and therefore not around as much to hover or otherwise hang out. 

The rest of the team - well. Steve will draw down here sometimes. Bruce will visit, but he prefers his own lab to here. Clint, Natasha, Thor and Sam don’t really bother with the shop and Barnes isn't actually Barnes when he’s down here. Oh he likes the shop sure. Steve mentioned before that he loved sci fi and mechanics back in the forties. But it’s still usually Winter more than Barnes who spends time here. 

Although now that Tony thinks of it, Barnes has been slowly coming down more as himself. It’s odd, looking up and realizing he is in charge instead of Winter. Not unwelcome, but odd. Apparently they are finally learning to get along better.  _ That _ had been rough at first from what he heard. Neither Barnes nor Winter were really fond of each other. 

Well if so then Tony is glad. It has to be rough, hating the other person living in your head. He wonders what this says about his life that that now sounds like a reasonable statement. Probably nothing good. 

When he looks up again from his work, Steve is gone, although there is now a plate of sandwiches sitting on the table. A massive one because obviously some are for Winter too. Even without the true form of the serum his metabolism is still ridiculously high. 

Tony grabs one and motions for Winter to help himself. “Dig in Tastee Freeze,” he says in between bites, “I’m not going to be able to finish all of them myself.” 

Winter abandons his post to eat. 

“So how’s life treating you snowflake? Find anything new or exciting lately?” Just because Winter doesn’t talk much doesn’t mean he doesn’t at all. He’s a man of few words, but they are there. And lately he has been exploring, trying to find his likes and dislikes. It’s both sad and kind of adorable. 

“Indian food is good although Bucky complains about the heat if we switch back too soon. Weak,” he snorts, “There is also a new bakery that is pleasing.” 

Tony has to hide his smile because that right there is what he is talking about. That shouldn’t be as cute as it is. 

“They have Iron Man cookies. And chocolate. You would like it.” 

Tony hums. “Sounds like that - and you - have good taste,” he winks. 

“You could accompany me sometimes. It would be - pleasing as well.” 

Tony is about to agree, but then the wording catches up with him. And that strange tone of voice. It’s not flat and it’s not nervous, but somehow a mixture between the two. He looks Winter over before smiling. “Why buttercup, are you asking me out on a date?” 

“Yes,” he nods, agreeing in the same tone. 

Tony’s smile grows. “I’d love to, sunshine.” It’s not something Tony has ever considered before, but he has nothing against the idea. At all. Besides being rather flattered, it’s also nice and a little exciting too. 

“Here,” Winter thrusts a letter towards him on the table. 

Tony raises an eyebrow at him as he picks it up to read it. 

Darling, 

If Winter doesn’t give this to you then I’m going to find a way to skin him. We’ve both been talking and we both think you’re pretty great. And pretty. You sure know how to make a fella swoon. Best thing in this century.   
Go on a date with me? I promise to show you a real good time. I know how to treat a sweet thing like you right. 

Bucky

ps. Never bet with a guy inside your own head. He cheats. And he’s a bastard who insisted on going first. 

Tony can’t help but laugh. So  _ that’s _ what they’ve been fighting - and bonding - over then. That’s still - pretty flattering. The note is exactly what he would expect from Barnes too. Although if he is going to date him, he should probably start calling him by his first name. 

“Yes to both of you,” he answers, smiling, “Are the two of you okay with sharing me?” Because while the note is one thing, reality can be quite the other. 

Winter nods. “It is acceptable if it allows me to have you.” 

Well isn’t that sweet. “Alright snowflake, you have yourself a date.” 

Winter smiles. 


End file.
